FBI Director James Comey on Thursday told Congress that the current dispute between his agency and Apple over trying to access one of the San Bernardino attacker's phones is "the hardest question I've seen in government."

He made the comment at a House Intelligence Committee hearing focused on worldwide threats, with Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and CIA Director John Brennan testifying alongside him.

"I think conversation and negotiation is the key to resolving this," Comey told lawmakers.

Comey said the FBI has two roles to play: to conduct an investigation into the San Bernardino terrorist attack that left 14 people dead in December using "whatever lawful tools are available to us." The other is to ensure that people understand "the costs associated with universal strong encryption."

While Comey said there are benefits to encryption and privacy, he also argued that law enforcement needs information to protect the public, which they often access through court orders that are search warrants, including of mobile devices. He warned that if they lose access to that information, there could be consequences.

"If we're going to move a world where that is not possible anymore, the world will not end, but it will be a different world than where we are today and where we were in 2014," he said.

The FBI has demanded that Apple help unlock an encrypted iPhone that was used by Syed Farook, one of the San Bernardino attackers, but Apple has refused a court order that directed the company to override security features on his phone.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said Wednesday that it would be "bad for America" if his company complied with the FBI and said he's prepared to take the dispute all the way to the Supreme Court.

Source: CBS NEWS